Friday, November 1, 2013

For a generation that has YOLO tattooed on our foreheads, we sure as hell will have a whole lot of regrets in about 10-20 years. Regret is that horrible feeling that you experience when you come to realize that the time to act has passed and that you are left holding your dick in your hands.

Think and do — there is little else required for a regretless life.

Life isn’t just about maximizing output of the good times; it’s also about minimizing your regrets. Here are 20 things that you should avoid regretting in your 20s and for the rest of your life:

1. Not Telling Them You Love Them.

We all have people in our lives that we love. Whether it be our parents, siblings or other family members, or lovers, there are those in our lives that we respect and cherish — those that we love. Chances are, however, that although you love them you never — or very rarely — tell them how much you love them. Chances are that you rarely show them how much you love them.

Our 20s are the fastest years of our lives…while it may seem that our loved ones will be around with us for quite some time longer, the fact is that we never truly know. They may be around for a few decades, but they may also be gone in ten minutes.

2. Not Saying Hello.

Ever wish you would have went up to that person and said hello? We have all had those moments in the past, but if we are wise, we should limit them. I understand that this may sound childish, but it is completely true — saying hello to a stranger could very well change your life forever. You may find a new best friend. You may find a soul mate.

Maybe you made a connection that will benefit you in your career. You really never know what a person can mean to you if you never meet them. Maybe you won’t want to know them. But maybe, just maybe, you’ll be friends, business partners, lovers for the rest of your life.

3. Not Giving It Your All.

There’s little worse than knowing that you could have done better, that you could have put in more time, focused more intently and gone that extra mile. The worst part is that by the time you realize the mistake you made, it’s too late.

4. Quitting.

There are times when quitting is the best option — I won’t argue against that. If things aren’t a right fit and you believe you’d be better off otherwise, then quitting makes sense. However, there are times that you may end up regretting that you quit. If the decision to quit was reasonable then you’ll be able to brush it off, but if you come to realize that you were just being lazy or were looking for excuses then you will come to regret it. You can’t turn back time.

5. Moving Too Quickly.

I have a theory: most relationships fail because people move too fast. Generation-Y likes to play house and have this nasty tendency of living together. Even worse is marriage — a beautiful thing when it lasts, but a nasty bitch otherwise. Take things slow and get to know yourselves and each other before you decide you want to spend eternity together.

6. Not Moving Quick Enough.

Timing is everything. Move too quickly and you’re destined for disaster; move too slow and be destined for boredom — most likely hers. Women like commitment — as do some men (when they are mature enough). If you play games for too long then you will lose her. She’ll assume you’re dicking around and find reasons to leave you. Letting her know she means a lot to you is your answer — you just have to figure out the best way of showing her how much you care.

7. Snoozing.

Both metaphorically and literally. Snooze the alarm too often for too long and the time adds up. If you only snooze for 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week, then in 10 years you’ll have snoozed for half a year. That’s right: you will have spent 180 days rolling around in your bed, half awake and half asleep — time completely wasted. Just as well, if you stay too comfortable, too lazy and snooze through life then you will miss out on all the good stuff.

8. Not Seeing The World.

I don’t feel that I need to expand on this one.

9. Not Allowing Yourself To Fall In Love.

We all want to fall in love — that is, until we fall in love and have our heart broken. After that, the further away we are from love, the better. We all secretly want to find love, to love and be loved — all of us. Being afraid to love is understandable, but unacceptable. Work through your fears or risk missing out on the single most amazing experience known to man.

10. Not Finishing What You Started.

Two things to live by: if you’re going to do it, then do it right. And if you don’t plan on finishing, then don’t bother starting.

11. Not Believing In Yourself.

The saddest thing in the world is a person that doesn’t believe in himself. If you don’t think that you can do it then no one will. We are the ones that decide who we are going to be. We are the ones that make things happen, that create progress and success. Each of us has the ability to mold the life we always wished for. If you don’t think you can do it then you are blinding yourself.

12. Not Having Children.

Maybe some people actually do hate kids. Maybe. But I don’t believe a mentally well person can hate their own children. I can understand that most children are born to less than desirable conditions, but we should all aspire to create great lives for ourselves and then bring great life into this world. We are born to reproduce. If you’re capable then there is nothing more natural. Besides, someone has to take care of you when you can no longer wipe your own ass.

13. Focusing On The Unimportant

If it isn’t important then it doesn’t deserve your attention. There is more than enough things of importance that we can should spend time on; no need to focus on the unimportant and useless. The key is to understand what is most important to you. Wait too long to figure that out and you’ll have wasted your life away.

14. Prioritizing Improperly.

Give priority where it is due and ignore all that takes no precedence. We all have several things that are most important to us. It most often is a combination of career, family and friends, significant others, and our health and well being. Don’t dote on any area for too long because you will surely ignore something else of importance. Learn to organize your time and give attention where it is due.

15. Driving Under The Influence.

Ever kill somebody? I hope not. I can’t imagine the regret people must feel after realizing that one last shot of Tequila was more important to them than a human life. We never think it can happen to us, until it does.

16. Abusing The Wrong Person.

Some people are bullies. Sometimes it is viewed as harmless fun in the office or among close friends. The truth is that you never quite know how a person will react to something you say or do. Playful banter or online trolling can be the cause of death just as much as a car crash. As a general rule, don’t make fun or abuse others. There are surely other ways you can horse around — ways that won’t involve the blood of another on your hands.

17. Living An Unhealthy Lifestyle.

You may feel that your unhealthy habits will never catch up with you, but ask people 20 years older then you what they think. The healthier you are, the better your body can repair itself and the better you will feel. Small amounts of damage done consistently to our body will prohibit your body from working the way it is supposed to. Most importantly, if you’re going to live, then why not feel and look great doing it?

18. Not Getting That Checkup.

Now that we soon will all have insurance, go get a checkup every year along with a full blood workup. Most things that can kill you, when caught early on, can be prevented from escalating. It will only cost you a couple of hours and maybe a few hundred bucks — a small price to pay for your life.

19. Not Living The Way You Want To Live.

This is your life and you have the right to live it in any way you see fit within the parameters of society (even such parameters can be removed, but only by removing yourself from society). I don’t know about you, but if I want something and other people already have it, then why should I not have it? If others can accomplish something that I want to accomplish, then why should I not be able to accomplish it? If there is will then there is a way — you just have to find it.

20. Dreaming Too Small.

How much would it suck if you finally succeeded and achieved your goal, only to say to yourself: “Sh*t. I should have aimed higher”? You get one shot to live the life of your dreams — you may as well dream real big. Shooting for the stars and landing on the moon is better than aiming for and reaching the top of a mountain.